Week 17 vs. Detroit Game Release.indd - NFL.com

of the fourth quarter, running a play-action fake to his left before bootlegging
out to the right and firing deep downfield, setting up a 4-yard TD to
Jennings two plays later...Was charged with only five incompletions and
joined Lynn Dickey and David Whitehurst as the only QBs in franchise
history to throw for four TD passes with five or fewer incompletions in a
game.
vs. Minnesota Vikings (11/14): Joined Kurt Warner as the only two QBs in
NFL history to post three consecutive 140-plus rating games in a single
season by completing 23-of-30 for 250 yards and four TDs, good for
a 140.1 mark in a 45-7 dismantling of the Vikings on Monday Night
Football...Also broke Favre’s franchise records for 110-plus rating games
in a season (eight, 2007) and for consecutive games with at least two TD
passes (eight, 1994), doing each so for the ninth time in 2011, while leading
five scoring drives, including three consecutive TD marches to open
the second half...Showed impressive calm and poise in the face of heavy
pressure early in the game, settling into a groove that saw him deliver yet
another excellent performance...Threw TDs of 24, 17, 9 and 4 yards, and
did not throw an INT for the third consecutive game.
vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11/20): Had what he described as an “off” day
by his standards, but still managed to complete 23-of-34 attempts for 299
yards and three TDs, setting the NFL record with 10 consecutive games
with a 100-plus passer rating (112.3)...Inched himself closer to Young’s
single-season record of 11 overall 110-plus rating games and his 31 TD
passes were the third-most in league history by a QB through 10 games...
Also extended his own franchise record by posting his 10th consecutive
game with at least two TD passes, and set new franchise records for the
most yards (3,169) and TD passes (31) through the first 10 games of
a season...Led five TD drives and sealed the game with his game-long
40-yard TD pass to Nelson that came with 2:55 remaining in the fourth
quarter to put Green Bay ahead 35-26, the game’s final score...On the play,
Nelson stuttered along the sideline looking for a back-shoulder throw, but
Rodgers placed the ball perfectly out in front of him where the WR caught
it in stride, outrunning the defense to the end zone...Also led a 15-play,
88-yard TD drive that chewed 8:27 off the clock on the offense’s first possession
of the game, capping it by handing off to NT B.J. Raji who bulled
forward for a 1-yard TD to give Green Bay an early 7-0 lead...Threw a rare
INT in the fourth quarter, just his fourth of the season through 10 games
and what was his first in 117 pass attempts.
at Detroit Lions (11/24): Piloted the team to the first 11-0 start in franchise
history and helped set a new franchise record with 382 points through 11
games, the fourth most by an NFL team through 11 contests since the
AFL-NFL merger in 1970...Completed 22-of-33 attempts for 307 yards and
two TDs in a clean performance against an aggressive, attacking defense...
His passer rating of 116.6 made him the first QB in NFL history to post
a 100-plus rating in 11 consecutive games and he joined Johnny Unitas
(1959) and Peyton Manning (2004) as the only players to ever throw twoplus
TD passes in each of the first 11 games of a season...Tied Young’s
single-season record by posting his 11th game with a 110-plus QB rating...
Showed patience and efficiency operating the offense, putting together TD
drives on three of four possessions between the second and third quarters,
while again posting a clean sheet in the turnover department...Again led the
offense on a scoring drive on the opening possession of the second half,
directing a march that spanned 77 yards over 11 plays and culminated with
a 1-yard TD run by Kuhn...On the following possession, made an excellent
play-action fake to RB Ryan Grant on a run to the right, attracting all three
LBs and S Chris Harris toward the line scrimmage, but dropping back
to find Jones deep on a post pattern that the WR took the distance for a
65-yard TD, extending Green Bay’s lead to 21-0.
at New York Giants (12/4): Finished with his third-highest passing yardage
total through the season’s first three quarters, having completed 29-of-46
attempts for 369 yards and four TDs in a hostile road environment against
an energized opponent in need of a win...Remained consistent throughout
the game despite falling victim to a handful of drops and what was at
times heavy pressure...TD total matched his single-game career high and
he extended his NFL record of consecutive games with a 100-plus passer
rating to 12 (106.2)...Set new single-season franchise records by posting
his eighth 300-yard passing and ninth three-plus TD game of 2011...Led
his first significant two-minute drive of the season, driving the offense 68
yards in just four plays with the game tied at 35-35 with less than one
minute remaining in the fourth quarter...Drive started at the Green Bay
20-yard line with 58 seconds left on the clock and the Packers holding
one timeout...Surgically completed four consecutive throws to Finley (24
yards), Nelson (27), RB Brandon Saine (-1) and Jennings (18), advancing
the ball to the New York 12-yard line and setting up Crosby to convert a
31-yard game-winning FG to give Green Bay a 38-35 win as time expired...
Also led two 80-yard TD drives to close the first half and open the second,
capping each with scoring passes to Driver and Jennings respectively...
Was also the offense’s leading rusher with 32 yards on four carries (8.0
avg.), converting first downs on three of his scrambles.
vs. Oakland Raiders (12/11): Became the fastest player to eclipse the 4,000-
yard passing plateau in a season in franchise history when he did so in the
team’s 13th game...Completed 17-of-30 attempts for 281 yards and two
TDs before exiting the game in the third quarter with Green Bay leading
43-7...Reaching the mark in 13 games tied him as the second fastest to do
so in NFL history behind New Orleans’ Drew Brees, who hit it in 12 games
earlier this season...Also joined Manning as the only two QBs in NFL history
to throw for two or more TDs in each of the first 13 games of the
season, extending his own franchise record...Has now thrown for 4,000
or more yards in three of his four starting seasons, joining Favre as the
only two QBs in franchise annals to do it three or more times...Threw his
second TD of the game and tied Favre’s single-season record in the second
quarter with his 39th of the season when he found Nelson deep down the
right sideline for a 37-yard strike...Throw was placed perfectly for the WR
to make a lunging grab before S Matt Giordano could get over to break up
the play...First TD pass came on the offense’s second possession of the
first quarter when he found TE Ryan Taylor from 4 yards out, the rookie’s
first career reception.
at Kansas City Chiefs (12/18): Completed 17-of-35 attempts for 235 yards
and a TD pass on what was a challenging day for the offense...Overcame
injuries and shuffling across the offensive line after both Bryan Bulaga and
Derek Sherrod were lost to injuries...Set the single-season franchise record
for TD passes with his 2-yard toss to Driver in the third quarter, becoming
just the fifth QB in NFL history to eclipse the 40-TD mark in a season...Also
scored his third rushing TD of the season in the fourth quarter, running it in
from 8 yards out to pull the Packers to within five points with just over two
minutes to play...The rushing TD was the 16th of his career, which pushed
him past Bart Starr for No. 2 all-time in franchise history among QBs.
vs. Chicago Bears (12/25): Had yet another sparkling performance in primetime,
tying the franchise record with a career-high five TD passes, en
route to leading the franchise to its record 14th regular-season win against
the divsion-rival Bears on Sunday Night Football...Completed 21-of-29
attempts for 283 yards, leading five efficient TD drives despite the offense
only possessing the ball for 24:12 during the game...Was not sacked or
intercepted, and with his 32-yard completion to Jones on a two-minute TD
drive before halftime, he passed Lynn Dickey (4,458) for sole possession
of the team’s single-season passing yardage record...Set a new NFL record
with his 13th game with a 100-plus passer rating and became just the third
QB in league history to have 10 games in a season with three or more TD
passes...Posted a QB rating of 142.7, his fourth of the season north of the
140 mark, tying him with Brady (2007, 2010) and Roger Staubach (1973)
for the NFL’s single-season record...Passing highlight of the night came
on his 55-yard TD bomb to Nelson on the offense’s opening drive of the
second half...On the play, carried out a run-fake to Starks to the left side
and then bootlegged back to the right, allowing Nelson time to separate
from S Major Wright and deliver a near-perfect strike deep downfield that
the WR caught in stride as he advanced into the end zone...Marked the
seventh time in 2011 that the unit scored a TD on its first possession of the
second half...Also directed what was a perfect evening (4-for-4) in both red
zone and goal line situations, throwing short TD passes to Jones (twice),
Finley and Nelson...Exited the game in the fourth quarter, passing the reins
to Flynn, who finished the game.
33 Brandon Saine, RB, Rookie, Ohio State
2011 Season: Rookie free agent who was signed to the team’s practice